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Forest Products Permits
Mushrooms | Salal ("Brocha") | Firewood | Wild Berries | Christmas Trees
What are Special Forest Products?
Non-timber forest products, or special forest products, include foods such as plants, wild edible mushrooms, fruits and nuts; medicinal plants and fungi; floral greenery and horticultural stock; fiber, oil resins, and other chemical extracts from plants, lichens, and fungi; as well as fuelwood and small diameter wood used for poles, posts, and carvings. Special forest products are a vital part of local and regional economies in the Pacific Northwest and many products hold significant cultural value which represents a long history of ecological knowledge and local use.
Personal and Commercial Use permits are required in order to gather many special forest products. Permits may require a fee payment and must be obtained from Forest Service offices. Availability may vary by season and district office.
Safety guidelines:
Safety Recommendations; Recomendaciones de Seguridad
Mushroom Picking
Commercial use permit: A permit is required for commercial picking of mushrooms on national forest land. Prices are:
$50.00 for 50 gallons - a 14 day permit
$80.00 for 80 gallons - a 30 day permit
$120.00 for 120 gallons - a calendar year permit
A Commercial Use Permit is required for any individual intending to sell the mushrooms, or harvesting more than the daily three (3) gallon multiple species limit.
Make an appointment to buy a permit at your nearest Olympic National Forest office.
Personal use: No permit is required for incidental gathering of mushrooms for personal use. For a single species, the daily limit for personal use is one (1) gallon. For multiple species, the daily limit is three (3) species, (1) gallon each. Harvested chanterelle mushrooms must have a cap diameter of one inch or greater. You may not sell or trade mushrooms gathered with a personal use permit.
- Review Olympic National Forest mushroom picking information (PDF File - 1 mb)
Forest Greenery - Salal ("Brocha")
Forest greenery products include salal, huckleberry, Oregon grape, and sword fern. Review information about harvesting forest greenery (PDF)
Commercial use permit: Salal is the only greenery for which commercial use permits are available. Read about the Olympic National Forest salal harvest lottery.
Spring 2025 Salal Lottery Dates:
Permits for commercial-use salal on the Olympic National Forest will go on sale March 2025.
Exact locations, dates and times will be released in February 2025.
Anyone harvesting salal within the Olympic National Forest for the purpose of selling must carry a commercial-use permit while picking.
To purchase a permit, you must be 18 years of age and possess a valid U.S. federal or state issued picture identification. Only one permit is allowed per person. Permits cost $150. Only cash or checks are accepted.
A lottery system will be used if demand for permits exceeds supply.
A personal use permit is required for anyone harvesting salal not intended for sale or trade.
Los permisos para salal de uso comercial en el Olympic National Forest saldrán a la venta durante dos días en enero y marzo del 2025.
Cualquier persona que coseche salal dentro del Olympic National Forest con el propósito de venderlo debe llevar un permiso de uso comercial mientras recolecta.
Para comprar un permiso debe tener 18 años de edad y poseer una identificación con foto válida emitida por el gobierno federal o estatal de los EE. UU.. Solo se permite un permiso por persona. Los permisos cuestan $150. Solo se acepta efectivo o cheques.
Se utilizará un sistema de lotería si la demanda de permisos supera la oferta.
Se requiere un permiso de uso personal para cualquier persona que recoja salal que no esté destinado a la venta o el comercio.
Salal Maps: Download Salal harvest area geo-referenced PDF maps below. They are not a replacement for a more detailed way-finding map.
- Pacific Ranger District Maps: Pacific North, Pacific South
- Hood Canal Ranger District Maps: Big Creek, Dennie Ahl, Hamma Hamma, Vance Brown, Walker, Weatherwax
Personal use permit: Salal, huckleberry, Oregon grape, rhododendrons, and sword fern are among the native plants that may be harvested for personal use with a permit. Contact your local forest service office to find out how to obtain a free permit.
Firewood Permits
Personal-Use Firewood Permit- up to 6 cords per calendar year are available for free, and can be used for cutting, manufacturing, handling, or other processing of firewood, but not for resale. Permits are only valid within the year they are issued and expire on the December 31 of the year issued.
Personal-Use Firewood Permits can be obtained via mail or email by completing the following form and sending to the Olympic National Forest. Instructions are contained within the PDF Personal-Use Firewood Permit form (English) Personal-Use Firewood Permit Form (Spanish).
Permits can still be obtained by visiting Forest Office locations during walk-in service hours. Due to staffing shortages, please call before visiting to ensure office locations are staffed and open.
Commercial Firewood Permits- available for individuals who wish to resell firewood or collect an additional 10 cords. The rate for commercial firewood permits is $5.00 per cord with a $20 minimum.
Permits are required for both commercial and personal-use firewood. Permits can be obtained by contacting an Olympic National Forest Office.
Firewood Permit Requirements (.pdf).
Permits are subject to wood availability.
Firewood harvesting maps; Los mapas para la cosecha de leña:
- Northeast Firewood Map (Dungeness, Quilcene, Duckabush area)
- Northwest Firewood Map (Forks area)
- Southeast Firewood Map (Cushman, Skokomish, Wynoochee area)
- Southwest Firewood Map (Quinault area)
Wild Berries
At Olympic National Forest, berry picking season begins in July and extends through September. Review information about the many kinds of wild berries available (PDF).
Commercial Use Permits: Commercial use permits are not available for wild berries. Commercial use of Olympic National Forest wild berries is not permitted.
Personal Use: Personal use is free and permissible. Berries may be consumed while visiting the Olympic National Forest. A person may pick up to one gallon of berries per day and up to three gallons of berries per year but these berries may not be sold or bartered. Please contact any Olympic National Forest office with questions.
Christmas Tree Permits
Christmas Tree permits can be obtained seasonally at Recreation.gov for $5.00 each and are good for one tree on the Olympic National Forest. Each household is allowed up to 5 Christmas tree permits.
Buy a permit at a forest office: Christmas tree permits can be purchased in person or over the phone, and sent via mail, by contacting one of the Olympic National Forest offices.
Buy a permit online through Recreation.gov. These permits are good for anywhere on the forest except those areas defined in the terms and conditions. All terms and conditions for this permit are auto generated and will print on the permit.
Buy a permit from a vendor. Christmas Tree Permits Vendors:
Port Angeles, WA - Swains General Store, 360-452-2357
Sequim, WA - Sequim Visitor Information Center, 360-683-6197
Quilcene, WA - North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce, 360-765-2200
Hoodsport, WA - Hoodsport Visitor Information Center, 360-877-2021
Please check with your local vendor prior to arriving to check availability and hours of operation. These permits are good for anywhere on the forest except those areas defined in the terms and conditions.
Free Tree permits for 4th Graders: Every Kid Outdoors initiative is offering one free Christmas tree permit to fourth-graders that have a valid 4th Grade Interagency Pass. These free Christmas tree permits are available online through Recreation.gov or by contacting an Olympic National Forest Office.
Cutting area maps & permit conditions:
- Forks
- Hoodsport
- Quilcene
- Quinault
- Quinault Special Management Area - Quinault Special Management Area will be sold at the Quinault office ONLY. People need to specifically request this permit area and need to have full understanding of the boundaries of the permit.
Christmas tree Permit terms and conditions.